Why you shouldn't swim with bears

April 13, 2009 5:24:04 AM PDT

BERLIN --

A woman who decided to swim with bears is lucky to be alive.Zoo officials say a 32-year-old woman jumped into the polar bear habitat Friday at Germany's Berlin Zoo. The woman told authorities she was hot and decided to go for a swim.

Unfortunately, her choice of location was not the best. She jumped into the water at the bear exhibit as zoo employees were feeding the animals.

Video shows one of the bears biting the woman on her neck. Authorities say she received several bites and slashes with the bears' razor sharp claws.

When rescue crews tossed a life preserve into the water to hoist the woman out and up the side of a concrete wall, she fell back into the water. One of the bears could be seen going under the water and then resurfacing with the woman in its mouth.

After rescuers pulled the woman out and rushed her to the hospital, police charged her with trespassing.